For the first time in a gubernatorial election since it was added in 1975, the None of These Candidates option received a plurality of the votes. This has been ascribed to the eight Democratic candidates' lack of name recognition, money and political experience. High-profile Democrats were put off by Sandoval's popularity and large war chest, leading to no "serious challenger" emerging.[10][11] According to state law, even if the "None of These Candidates" option receives the most votes in an election, the actual candidate who receives the most votes still wins the election. Thus, Bob Goodman was certified as the Democratic nominee.